"As the chain opens stores at the rate of three a day across the US, often in the heart of ‘food deserts’, some see Dollar General as an admission that a town is failing."
"Economists say that when the world changes people will adapt, move and change to fit the new world. But of course, real human beings often don’t do that. They cling to the places they love, and their identity remains tied to the outdated or inefficient things they used to do, like being steel workers or farmers. Often, their skills are not transferable anyway, and they have no interest in the new opportunities. So, these people get left behind."
It’s interesting to map the median age of New Yorkers by Census Blocks. While certain census blocks show a median age that is noticeably younger then some, e.g. juvenile institutions and colleges, a broader trend can be seen in Catskill and Adirondack Parks — residents there tend to be older.
Looking at this map, one can conclude residents of the Southern Tier, Tug Hill Regions, and North Country tend to be younger compared other portions of state, while in surburban areas people tend to be somewhat younger. Cities tend to have youngest populations, especially in neighborhoods touched by poverty and blight.
Despite what you might think, residents of Mohawk Valley are not particularly older then the rest of state. If anything, they are slightly younger. The idea that all of the young people are moving away from the Mohawk Valley isn’t supported by data, or at least new young people are coming back to replace the lost people.
From the 2010 Census we get a good look at what the population looks like in Upstate NY. Upstate cities’ population was intentionally “bunched” together in reds to emphasize the difference in population, in the more suburban and rural communities surrounding the cities. If I had used absolute population coloring state wide, the rural countryside would be solidly blue, while upstate cities and largest suburbs would be orange, with only New York City being pink.
As towns across the state vary some what in size, looking at population density is more accurate. That said, be aware how I “grouped” colors together to emphasize the difference in rural population, at the cost of merging vast differences in urban populations to shades of red and pink.
Notice the dark blues in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, some representing large areas of state lands, others representing a lack of economic opporunity. Large areas of the upland Central Letherstocking Region, and Allegheny Plateau are also sparsely populated due to a lack of jobs, little agriculture due to poor upland soils, and large parcels of state land due to abandoned upslope farm land.
Indeed, a much of the modestly populated area in Mohawk Valley through the Buffalo-Niagara region, is called the state’s “Farm Belt”, with large amounts of agricultural activity — aka CAFOs and other large and highly productive dairy farms — on going due to large flat lands, with rich soil. Farming helps keep populations higher in those areas, as does reminence of the former industrial economy and connection the major upstate cities. Modern dairy farming is unproductive in other regions of state, except in alluvial valleys. Dairy farming regions of state, are typically have populations between 75-150 persons per square mile.
The New York State Towns and Cities, ordered by size, then graphed on a population curve. It’s a pure J curve.
A few years back I happened to visit the Citizens Environmental Coalition headquarters when they where pushing to ban burning of household garbage and other farm waste in rural areas in towns with populations less then 20,000, which was legal in many communities prior to 2009 action taken by administrative fiat by Governor Paterson on the urging of a certain NYPIRG lobbyist. They had something similiar to this map (they also excluded small cities and villages which I did not), showing that over 80% of the state it was legal — at least unless their was local laws prohibiting it. Most of Upstate NY could participate in this proud and smelly hick tradition!
Most of Upstate NY is included in this map as being in municipalities less 20,000. It’s quite remarkable to think how few towns in Upstate are actually larger then 20,000 and how directly representive many local governments are to their people — at least if the public chooses to get involved. It’s over 80% of the area in Upstate has populations less then 20,000.
And if we drop that number down to 5,000, you’ll find still 74.08% of state’s landmass is covered by towns less then 5,000 persons. That’s pretty remarkable. There are 1.3 million people who live in those 639 little hick towns in NY State, covered by forest lands and farms. While I don’t have block-sized population data for entire state, you can imagine most of that population probably lives in small towns and villages, and only a smaller minority lives spread out in the countryside.
Still, raw population of mucipalities is not a very good predictor of the rural nature of a town. It might mean consituents of a small town have access to their local government officials, but it does not neccessarly mean that town is spread out. In contrast, if you look only at towns with average land per capita, exceeding 10 acres, you get a good view of truly rural communities. Now, people in rural towns with 10 acres a piece do not all have to own 10 acres individually, but it does mean such towns have a lot of farming or forest activites going on, and many people are very well spread out. It’s a lot of Upstate NY, outside of cities and Mohawk-Niagara farm belt.
And for the Capital Region, showing except for the city, there is a lot of open forest and farm land.
Rural America and Urban America are both fundamentally different and also directly inter-related. One policy may make sense for one community but directly conflict with the values or virtues of another community. In some cases, one policy will benefit one community at the detriment of another community, but in more times then not the difference is ideological.
We live in an era with low-cost high-speed transportation that makes it easy for most people to intermix between rural and urban areas. Different cultures may not mix or meet due to environmental differences, but there is a constant possibility that urban and rural people, goods, and services will meet. This level of commerce can cause problems. Technology makes it possible to create levels of environmental harm that can move between both environments in the form pollution or nuisance.
Yet, the biggest threat to both of these areas is intolerance and ideology. People have viewpoints based on the environment that they are socialized in, and they tend to be intolerant of those who are different then themselves. People too often know how others should live and conduct their lives, without trying to put themselves in somebody\’s else shoes.
It seems that one of the protectors of our environment and the rural life is the lack of economic opportunity in our wild areas away from the cities. Jobs and economic growth are necessary for population growth and subsequent suburbanization. The lack of purchasing power reduces consumption, which in turn reduces the damage on our environment.
This is clear from looking at economic and environmental statistics. Suburbs only spring up when there are jobs available. Areas with the most rapidly increasing pollution seem to have the most growth. Solid waste intake to incinerators and landfills is an extremely accurate predictor of GDP growth: the more money you have to consume, the more you have to toss.
Likewise, the old has to be preserved when there is not money to create new. Would have the city of Albany torn down all those historic houses to build the Empire State Plaza, where it not for the riches of New York City? Much of New England, which has suffered from high taxes and lack of opportunity enjoys that mistake of yesteryear: it makes sense to preserve when there isn’t the money to replace. People spend large amounts of money in beautiful crafty stores that we see in New England.
Likewise, the economic hardship of rural life instills a sense of pride in the land the people work. Rural people for the most part choose to live in rural areas, and not cities. People who work a farm all their life have to give up certain things, like vacations and nice automobiles. They choose to make the farm come first and the rest of their life come second. It is their choice that helps preserve open space and make things as beautiful as they are.
It is hard to deny the farmer or the laborer better wages for their toils. Don’t they deserve what city people can get? Such a notion denies the benefits are gotten from rural life and living in a small community. These people enjoy cleaner air, closer relationships with neighbors, stronger values, and a more free life. So before you start asking for an improved rural life with more opportunity, look at what you have now.